# InvalidAliasNameException: alias [logs_current] points to missing index [logs-2025.03]

- **ID:** `elasticsearch/alias-points-to-missing-index`
- **Domain:** elasticsearch
- **Category:** config_error
- **Verification:** ai_generated
- **Fix Rate:** 93%

## Root Cause

An alias is configured to reference an index that has been deleted or does not exist, causing operations on the alias to fail.

## Version Compatibility

| Version | Status | Introduced | Deprecated |
|---------|--------|------------|------------|
| 7.17.12 | active | — | — |
| 8.11.0 | active | — | — |
| 8.13.0 | active | — | — |

## Workarounds

1. **Update the alias to point to an existing index: POST _aliases { "actions": [ { "remove": { "index": "logs-2025.03", "alias": "logs_current" } }, { "add": { "index": "logs-2025.04", "alias": "logs_current" } } ] }** (95% success)
   ```
   Update the alias to point to an existing index: POST _aliases { "actions": [ { "remove": { "index": "logs-2025.03", "alias": "logs_current" } }, { "add": { "index": "logs-2025.04", "alias": "logs_current" } } ] }
   ```
2. **If the index was accidentally deleted, restore it from a snapshot: POST _snapshot/my_repo/snapshot_2025/_restore { "indices": "logs-2025.03", "rename_pattern": "logs-2025.03", "rename_replacement": "logs-2025.03" }** (85% success)
   ```
   If the index was accidentally deleted, restore it from a snapshot: POST _snapshot/my_repo/snapshot_2025/_restore { "indices": "logs-2025.03", "rename_pattern": "logs-2025.03", "rename_replacement": "logs-2025.03" }
   ```

## Dead Ends

- **** — If the mapping does not match the expected schema, the alias may work but queries fail; also, data from the original index is lost (70% fail)
- **** — The alias still references the missing index; it must be updated to point to an existing index (95% fail)